This “Idea” of “White”

As we look at the power of words in action

“Word” defined – something that is said,

a written or printed character

or combination of characters representing a spoken word.

 

Take note – the pen (the instrument to write a word)

IS indeed mightier than the sword

And words do hurt

The power of words in defining a philosophy to conquer and empower brought the words “white and racism” into play

 

Racism is defined

through the concept of a white ideology –

“ideology” – set of beliefs,,

body of concepts,

theory, dogma, program

rationale

ethos

political philosophy

 

The word “ideology” was originally part of the vocabulary of the French Revolution, first appearing in print in 1706

stemming from the word “idea” -

deferred as a view, sentiment, opinion

belief

conviction

thought

mental picture

insight, interpretation, impression, conception

intimation

 

With the letter “l” the word becomes “ideal” –

optimal goal

ultimate aim

objection,

highest goal

With the “ism” we get “idealism” – wishful thinking

persistent hopefulness

utopia-ism

 

During the period under the rule of Constantine, (306-337 AD) he ordered Christianity to become the religious dome.

Laws were adjusted in accordance with Christian notions in order to support the hierarchy.

 

Christianity reached England in 596 AD when Augustine arrived from Rome.

White superiority reared its ugly head with the rise of the religious divide, the split between the eastern and western churches,

and further division in central Europe.

 

An Anglo, Saxon or Jute is described as those who came to England in the 5th Century AD.

 

Webster describes them as - Any member of the Germanic people that inhabited and ruled England from the 5th Century to 1066.

Anglo-Saxon is defined as denoting non-Celtic settlers in England;

but now more loosely denotes any people or their descendants of the British Isles.

 

The “Idea” of white as in “man”

arose in the 19th century

with the “WASP”- the white Anglo-Saxon protestant – originally described as one of northern European, esp. British stock and a protestant background, one often considered to be a member of the dominating and most privileged class.

 

(The insect – wasp – is described as a slender bodied winged insect related to the bees and ants with biting mouth parts, and in females a formidable sting.)

 

The events that were to transform the concept of race

involved the discovery and exploitation

of the western hemisphere

by people of European origins.

 

The major period of European overseas exploration began in the late 1400s

and increased contacts with people of different cultures – race.

We can trace

the concept

of “race” – groups generally believed to share a selected number of genetically determined traits.

Early writings traces

the concept

from the advent of the Renaissance period

when the concept

began to take shape.

 

The concept

grew out of artificial circumstances created by colonization

of the western Hemisphere.

 

The concept

of categorization of people in terms of race

never occurred in earlier writings

including the scriptures.

 

The concept

of racism

spread during the latter 19th century

along with “Social Darwinism (1859) –

the belief that societies are and should be

organized as a struggle for survival of the fittest.

 

The concept

of Darwin’s idea of progress meant control over the world.

So the white man’s ideology justified the conquest of Africa and other nations.

Experts have not discovered any scientific basis for claims of

this concept

of superiority

and there has been no scientific proof that African people are less intelligent

or inferior humans

In fact

anthropologists reject the concept of race outright.

 

Defining race differences has been a tool

of the white man

as a weapon

to elevate him in power to rule

under his pseudo-Christian facade

to conquer land and people

to dispel

delete

denounce,

deny, divide, diminish

disenfranchise,

discard

And by definition

to ultimately dominate

through exploitation

extermination

suppression

fabrication

industrialization,

secularization

socialization

institutionalization

and justification by re-defining a nation.

 

It was in the early to mid-1700s

when the first American dictionaries were prepared.

 

Words defined by Webster’s dictionary was produced in 1828

And by definition

it was decided

by re-defining

you can change a people’s description

and draw a line

between black and white (Indian, Red; Asians, yellow)

 

Take away the name African

Take away the national identity

Take away the birth place

Re-define with words that bind

and re-define with the un-identifying words –

with no distinction marks.

 

When we look at the defining words

for black and white,

we see words for black

are most assuredly those cast in the

negative light.

 

The dictionaries’ define words for Black –

as ebony, raven, sable

In describing a person –

we get - negro, colored, dark-skinned

also to mean –

black outlook, grim, dismal

calamitous

dim

 

And as for his look –

sullen, hostile, dark, furious angry, threatening

It was also decided the heart black

means evil, wicked, bad, nefarious

 

Defining white –

we see –

ivory, pearls, alabaster

cream colored, translucent, milky, chalky, bright light, illuminated, snow white, fair

other defining words are –

colorless, pale, pallid, blanched, bleached, ashen, pasty, ghostly, cadaverous, bloodless, sallow, gray, leaden.

 

Dictionaries define the word representing the Caucasian –

as optimistic, sunny

White as in reputation is seen as being pure, spotless, unblemished, unstained, chaste, undefiled, virtuous, clean.

 

Note the antonym of white –

harmful, corrupting, sinister, malicious, vicious, venomous, destructive, evil, wicked, bad, notorious

 

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

 

Here is how a white lie is defined –

harmless, un-malicious, innocent

Webster states – Caucasoid people as those marked by upright, fairness, square dealing, straightforward and kindly, outstanding, righteous

Webster defines Black man – an evil spirit, bogeyman, devil (I thought he was red!)

 

These descriptive words were designed as an evil effort

to manipulate and pollute

the mind by

erasing

disgracing,

debasing

and defacing history’s legacy

 

I personally combat this ugly rat!

I attack

with my own bat

and smack

the hell outta lies spread as fact!

 

I attack

with the words used for these years of racial discrimination

used by those who practice racism with the word –

ignorance –

defined as backwardness, confusion, mental darkness, unawareness, person who is shallow, irresponsible, asinine and stupid.

 

I combat this evil practice with representative words to define Black -

rare – as in black diamond

unique

great worth

black represents strength – a strong force

powerful

enduring

penetrating

class

elegance

grace

fierce

magical

warm

generous

hip

style setters – trendsetters

spiritual

forgiving

compassionate

genuine

depth – the deepest waters

in the black – profit

sweet

 

Once something is written or spoken and enters the atmosphere, it cannot be erased,

but you can correct it

you can confront it

by writing and speaking in response to it

 

Let’s take the conqueror - England’s Cecil John Rhodes

This member of the “master race” – as he called the white race,

left a legacy that consisted of murder, bribery, theft, deception, coercion and corruption, annihilation, amalgamation, and manipulation

in order to steal a mass fortune from South Africa’s diamonds and South Africa’s gold in his pursuit of power and control.

 

The English plan for South Africa was to steal it’s diamonds and gold,

and to end black self-sufficiency by confining rural Africans to tribal reserves, and the institution of taxes (on a hut, on labor to whites).

Cecil Rhodes “ideas.”

 

Cecil Rhodes along with Barney (Isaacs) Barnato and Albert Beit

came together to take 90% of the world’s diamond stake

through the De Beers Mining Company.

And neither was called a rake, or was seen as a snake.

 

The De Beers Mining Company still hold a monopoly of the world’s diamond production and distribution.

Another act of his lust for power and control was to rename Great Zimbabwe to that of Rhodesia.

 

Great Zimbabwe was an ancient city believed to be the location of the biblical region, Ophir, site of King Solomon’s mines.

Magnificent palace temples were built at the time of the first great Shona empire (the Mwena Mutapa dynasty).

By changing the name of that great African civilization – (so named in honor of the great African leader, also called “Great Zimbabwe”) to that of Rhodesia in honor of Cecil Rhodes, a British imperialist, erased the face which graced the place – to erase, to cover, to hide it’s great history.

 

Cecil Rhodes made this statement, “Africa is lying ready for us. It is our duty to take it for white men and their families.

“Cause we know, if you don’t have a history,

you have no place of position

 

If you don’t have a name

you have no identity

If you have no land

you have no power

 

And so, all the essential elements of apartheid in South Africa were set by Cecil Rhodes.

 

Stereotypes

and refined identities

have been and are

perpetuated through words

in newspapers, magazines

television and movies.

 

Disney is a prime example

by continually creating characters

that continually emphasize other races as the hero child prince or princess,

but in no instance has Disney ever created a hero character who is represented as a black child prince or princess (this was written before the one – the princess and the frog)

 

Their superior “being” concept was also the white-washed faces of Christ… conceived, pictured, taught, and passed on…

 

Man was indeed created to be

masterful human beings

created by the Master Craftsman

created in His and Her own image

created to rule the earth

created to be masters of our fate

created to be decisions-makers about our individual existence

created to be masters of the universe

created to the glory of God -

not to the glory of one man “kind.”

 

The history of living is “one history” and each component interconnects with the other and leads us to higher learning.

 

The lessons of and in history are to lead us to our “master” potential throughout the universe.

 

Yet we are still wallowing around

on earth making a mess of things

and we know the chickens always come home to roast -

it’s their nature

 

As it is our nature to be survivors.

We have survived

We are surviving

We will survive

and from the dust we shall rise

 

Postscript: Cecil Rhodes’ will provided for a scholarship fund – the renowned “Rhodes Scholars.”

 

Some defining words for scholar are – wise man, man of letters, intellectual, learned person, academic specialist.

 

And to reiterate some defining words for ignorance are – mental darkness, unawareness,

un-enlightenment, want of perception, lack of knowledge or education, lack of learning, obliviousness.

 

I am Ruth… the pen speaks

 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all people are created equal.”

“God saith, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness… And God prepareth the man in God’s image, in the image of God… in the image of God, God prepared man. a male and a female God prepared them.” Genesis 1:26-27

“There is no respect of persons – no partiality - no favoritism - with God. He has no favorites.” Ephesians. 6-9

 

The white man may have pasted God white-faced, Jesus blond and blue-eyed,

but his vision is flawed, defective, damaged, unsound, blemished, unwise, senseless.

 

Ruth Ce. Jones

From: “Sunlight on the River - Books I&II”

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